ANet is a nonprofit dedicated to the premise that every child in America deserves an excellent education and the opportunities it provides. We pursue our vision of educational equality in America by helping schools boost student learning with great teaching that is grounded in standards, informed by data, and built on the successful practices of educators around the country.

A text-based approach to planning close reading

One of the most powerful lessons we’ve learned through our work with schools is the importance of doing the work we ask our students to do. Nothing helps us anticipate misunderstandings or understand the strategic support our students will need as much as stepping into their shoes, and doing the reading, writing, and thinking they will do as part of upcoming instruction.

One of the most powerful lessons we’ve learned through our work with schools is the importance ofdoing the work we ask our students to do. Nothing helps us anticipate misunderstandings or understand the strategic support our students will need as much as stepping into their shoes, and doing the reading, writing, and thinking they will do as part of upcoming instruction.

One way teachers and leaders “do the work” is through a text-based approach to planning close reading. This approach is a departure from the way many of us have planned literacy instruction in the past: It puts the text, rather than skills and strategies, front and center. It hinges on the idea that when teachers make meaning of a text themselves, they’re better able to support students to do the same.

Watch this video to learn how the team at Garfield Elementary School in Revere, MA, implemented this approach.

If this approach is new to you or your team, it may be helpful to watch this screen cast, which include hands-on activities and discussion prompts. And if you want a refresher on the basics of text complexity, click here.